Stay In The Shadows
by PaperAxes
Summary: Modern Day AU. Beatrice Prior's parents believe that selfishness is a sin and selflessness should be practiced more in family homes. Wanting to escape the lifestyle, she joins a group of pranksters called the Dauntless with her friend, Christina. But will she find love with her assigned partner? And is there an enemy planning to destroy the Dauntless?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! It's me PaperAxes and I am starting a new story! I've had this idea for a while and just wanted to write it down. This may not get updated regularly due to Divergent Girls and Forgiven. So I hope you enjoy this!**

The ringing alarm of my cell phone wakes me up. I drag my body out of bed and snuggle my feet into soft, warm slippers. The beams of sunlight that escaped the blinds have hit me, making me squint my eyes. I slowly made my way into the bathroom and get ready. It was the usual routine: hop into the shower, brush my teeth and dry my hair. Then I would go into my room and wear gray clothes.

You may think, why is she specifically saying what color the clothing items are? My family, well my parents, believe that selfishness is a sin and selflessness should be practiced. In order to do that, my family, which consists of my mom, dad, Caleb, my brother and the one and only me, Beatrice Prior, gives back to the community and to the less fortunate.

We eat canned food so other people could have the good stuff. We wear gray so we don't get attention. My brother and I kinda get a lot of attention due to the fact most of our closet is gray.(Kind of sucked for Class Color Day. Both of our classes had to wear gray and the children who wanted to wear other clothes had to agree due to the fact according to the student handbook this was a religious practice.)

My parents also host the Abnegation Club which are a group of parents that are dedicated to the belief that selfishness will be the fall of humanity and the universe itself. It was annoying cause that is what all my parents talk about and worse of all, the meetings were held at our house during 4pm to 5pm on Mondays They would talk about what they did during the week and exchange ideas.

In order for Caleb and I to prepare to be the head of Abnegation Club and spread its awesomeness, my parents signed us for the Giving Back Camp at our community center of Chicago, Illinois. Our parents pay for it, $100 every month!, and we go there and discuss about how to give back to the less fortunate. We also hold food and toy drives and bake sales which all proceeds go to the local orphanage and homeless shelters.

I walk into our noisy kitchen where Caleb is getting our canned chicken ready, my mother cleaning and my father is reading the local newspaper. I glance at the front page and see the title "The Dauntless Strike Again." The Dauntless, as described by my parents, a group of idiotic, no life vandals that just want to ruin our beautiful city. I take a seat by my dad where he smiles at me and touches my blond hair.

Caleb gives me a plate of chicken and I eat it. It's soft, but okay. Our canned food is not the best, but we settle for it. I chew softly, wanting to savor the flavor. My tongue dances around as I chew and swallow the chicken. Once I am done, I put the plate in the sink, say goodbye to my parents and leave for school with Caleb. We usually walk because school is like a five minute walk.

"I got you something," Caleb says softly as he closes the door. He reaches for his pocket and pulls out 3 chocolate coins. They lie on his palm and I take them. "I got them from work."

Caleb and I are the same age, 16, and are able to get jobs. I don't have one, but Caleb decided to work at a supermarket. Sometimes, he would steal some of the bulk candies and give them to me.

"Thanks," I reply as I unwrap one and pop it into my mouth. I put the rest into the water bottle pocket of my backpack. "You know mom and dad will find out about this sooner or later."

He shrugs and smiles. "At least I won't be like the Eaton kid."

I punch him. "That's a rumor! Even if it's true, I wouldn't joke about it!" Rumors surfaced that the town mayor Marcus Eaton that he used to hit his child with a belt. "Seriously, that's not something to smile about. Marcus is in the Abnegation Club. An honorary member of the club too!"

"Sheesh! It was a mistake! Can't I make a mistake from time to time?"

"Fine," I peevishly answer. I cross my arms as I kick a rock on the side walk. The distances vary. "Do not make jokes about it," I reprimand in a firm tone.

"Okay. I won't." He smiles and sometimes I just want to smack him.

* * *

I forcefully shut my locker and find my friend, Christina leaning against the neighboring locker. I gasp and then frown at her. "So how was your fine January morning?" I greet.

"Awesometaculagroolar," she replies in the made up word that we created in 2nd grade. It consisted of awesome, spectacular, great and cool. "How was yours?"

"Good as always." I walk away from the lockers and walk toward precal class, which is taught by the one and only Ms. Matthews. "Why are you so bubbly on a cold morning?"

"The Dauntless are having an open meeting to new members!" she says in a rush

My head turns to her. "What?"

She slowly speaks in syllables now, "The Daunt-less are ha-"

"Don't smartass me," I express. "So they really have an opening for new members?"

"Yeah," she nods several times. "It's today later on 8pm. They say just jump on top of the moving train and the members will pull you up. And you must tell the guy by the shaded tree you are coming."

"Can't," I say. "I have Giving Back Camp on the same time."

"You could," she starts, "Ditch and I'll tell the guy by the shaded tree we are going."

"Okay," I nod. I never broken the rules before and this is so exciting! I'll be like a total BA.

"Okay," her smile almost stretching across her face like the Grinch.

**A/N: Thank you for reading! Let me know what you thought of this chapter in a review! I love you guys and have an awesometaculagroolar day!**

**-PaperAxes**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**  
Tonight, excitement, instead of blood, flows through my veins. Christina and I walk up the stairs  
and onto the the platform where we enter the train.

"So we just ride on top of the train?" I ask like a student asking a teacher what page we read in the textbook after the teacher has said the number for a hundred times.

She repeated, "Yes. Wait... Are you scared?"

I shake my head as my palms get sweaty. Christina glances at my hand and sees my sweat glisten in the light of a lamp post.

"Liar," she says. "So how did you escape Giving Back Camp?"

"Well," I stand against a wall. "When my parents left, I just made a run for it."

I could hear a faint sound of a train horn. The sound soon grows louder and louder as the train move closer. The train zooms pass us and then comes to an abrupt stop. I expected that on the other side there would be Narnia, but sadly this was the wrong train. Waves of people walk out the train.

When the station is empty and the train is almost ready to leave, Christina helps me onto the roof of the train. I pull her with me, utilizing every muscle in my arms. When I pull her up, she lands with a thud. Then the train moves.

"Are you ready?" She asks me.

"I am."

The cool wind blows against my face, making it cold as ice. Coldness shoots through my body making me shiver and my teeth chatter. Christina stays beside me, her arms wrapped around herself. I breathe and see my breath in the air.

I touch the cool, metal roof and jerk back. It feels like frozen ice. From the distance, the train enters a tunnel. Christina and I duck. I lay flat against roof and we enter the dark tunnel. Suddenly a hand grabs me and pulls me onto the ceiling of the tunnel. Pure panic shoots through me and I let out a high pitched scream.

Are these the infamous Dauntless or are they kidnappers? I don't hesitate to fight back. I elbow whoever is grabbing me. They don't fight back or let go, instead this person keeps holding on. The person leads me into a bright room where there are other people.

A boy the same age as me pulls me away. He brings me to the other people. The first words he says are "Welcome to Dauntless."

**A/N: I finally updated! Yay! I will try to update as much as I can know that I have some free time. But once it hits February I will post more!**

**-PaperAxes**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

I watch as another man brings Christina in by her arm. He lets go and stands by the doorway we entered. Christina rushes to my side and immediately takes a seat.

"I hope our men were gentle when they picked you," a boy says. "Names? Give me a name that you always wanted to be called."

I think over what I really want to be called. This is a new place. I could be different here with a new name. "Tris," I say firmly.

Everyone's eyes shift to Christina and she looks at the blank ceiling for help. "I want," I could hear the nervousness of her voice, but it is masked by her cheery tone. "Aguilera." I laugh in the inside and I see several others smiling.

"Fine then," says the boy. " My name is Four." What does his name stand for? Is it symbolic? "The guy who kidnapped you is Snake." I look to the right and see the boy, who has caramel colored skin and black hair. "Christina, the boy who helped you is Luke." I glance at the boy and he looks like Snake, but he has browner hair and green eyes instead of brown.

Four and my eyes find each other and for a moment, I recognize him, but then it fades away. His eyes could set me on fire.

"I'm Lout," a girl in the corner introduces herself. She has a shaved head and piercings all over her right ear. "This is Scarlet," Lout points to the girl next to her. I smile at her and she returns it.

They all must have code names for this. A knot of regret grows in my head and I push it off to the side. The worst thing that can actually happen is that my parents find out. Which will never happen.

"Since, Tris and Aguilera are new here," Four starts to speak. His voice gives me goosebumps, the good ones like when you listen to a song and the singer hits high notes goosebumps. "You will be assigned partners."

Then there's a lump in my throat. Beads of sweat run down my face, screaming that I am nervous. I cross my fingers and hope it's Lout or Scarlet.

"Tris," Four says. I look at him again. "You're with me." Should I be happy or sad? I mean Four looks hot and all, but I am more comfortable with a girl. I shrug it off. Four isn't that bad, right? "Aguilera and Lynn."

Jealousy shoot through me and I give a stare at Christina that screams "I HATE YOU! LETS SWITCH PARTNERS!"

"The meeting is over and you may exit out of the trash chute," Four says and he points to the left side of the room. A trash chute is in the middle of the wall.

One by one, people enter it and slide down it like a slide in a playground. When it's my turn, I put leg in and the other and hope it's not a trap. I let go and slide. I eventually hit a pile of mattresses and find no other members of the Dauntless.

Christina goes down and asks, "Are you going home?"

I shake my head. "I will in a few minutes." I wave at her and she gives me a quick hug.

Soon, Four lands on the mattresses. I go up to him. "Hi," I say, shakily.

"Hello there, Tris."

"I was wondering," I look at him and I seem to get lost in his eyes. "What if we get caught?"

His hand grazes my bare forearm and he grabs my wrist gently. Blood rushes to my cheeks and it sends a shiver, a good shiver, down my spine. With his other hand, he makes a fist shape with the hand that he is holding. He makes a smooth motion toward the air. "Punch them."

He leaves and before he walks out the alley, he gives me a hug instead of a high five or a hand shake. In that moment, I smile.

**A/N: Hey! Sorry I haven't updated in a long time! I have to a of stuff to do and I hope this chapter suffices.**

**-PaperAxes**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

I actually didn't go back to sleep that night. I lay down in my bed and replay what happened in my mind. The train. The room. The escape. The boy. The thought of Four makes me smile.

But I know I've seen him before. His face. Maybe he goes to school with me. Possibly. I know him from somewhere. Who is he? I push the thought of him away, yet he keeps seeping back into my mind.

I have a feeling he's going to stay there in my head.

* * *

Once I walk the doors of my school, I am hit with a wave of tiredness. I drag my slouching body toward math. I reach my desk and collapse onto my seat. My head hits my desk and I fall asleep. When the first bell rings, I jolt awake.

* * *

The rest of my day was a blur. I couldn't remember anything significant. Suddenly, my body hits another and I fall to the ground. My textbooks land with a thud, I look at the other person's face.

"Sorry! I am really sorry about that!" the guy helps me get up.

"It's okay," I say. He helps me pick up the textbooks and I look at him again. He's cute. Wait... "Four?"

"Yeah," he says. "You dropped four textbooks."

"No," I reply. "You're a part of the Dauntless."

He shakes his head. "I'm not associated with those vandals."

"Are you sure?"

He nods.

"Well, thanks anyway for helping me," I say.

"No problem," he flashes a smile at me. "I'll see you in Calculus." He walks away.

He takes Calculus with me? He probably sits in the back row. I never pay attention to the back row. But I swear he is Four. Maybe I am just hallucinating. I am.

* * *

When I reach home, Caleb is sitting on the couch watching a science show. He invites me, but I decline. I walk up the stair and do math homework. I look down at my notes from time to time.

Caleb walks in. "So how was your splendid evening last night?"  
"Remember? I was with you in Giving Back Camp."

"You weren't there."

"I was in the back row."

"No," he replies.

"I was!" I exclaim.

"No."

"What do you want?" I stand up from my chair.

He looks at me, smiling. "I won't tell if you do something for me."

"Which is?"

"Participate in the annual L.A.R.P by the ferris wheel. Do the Pokemon one!"

I wish that I didn't sneak out last night. But I was already accepted into the Dauntless. "Fine."

He laughs and I give him the evil eye. "Great!" he says. I want to punch him so bad.

**A/N: Hey guys! I hoped you really enjoyed this chapter! Could you review? Please! I hope you guys have an amazing day!**

**-PaperAxes**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The Dauntless were really strict on what to wear. I received a letter (I have no clue how they found my address).

_Dear Tris,_

_Welcome to the Dauntless, a group of professional pranksters. We are happy to be working with you. First off, clothing._

_The only clothing allowed to be worn is black. When wearing any bright colors, you do not blend in with the surroundings. Black is the best way to go when we do our business. If you do not wear black, you are immediately kicked out of the group._

_If you tell anyone about the Dauntless without Four's consent, you will be immediately kicked out of the team._

_From, _

_The Dauntless_

_P.S. Stay in the shadows._

_Stay in the shadows?_ What does that mean? I shrug the question off. I probably should ask Four about tonight. Maybe it's like a slogan or something.

I put the in my pocket and check the time. 7:35. The city is already cloaked in darkness and the moon is shining light on a lake by my house. I glance back at my door, making sure I locked it. I try to open the window and it creaks, but just barely.

Once the window is open, I am hit with the cold. I jump down from my window, which is a full story down, into a tree. I land with a thud on a branch and I slowly climb down the trunk. I do a quick survey of the area, making sure that no one is watching.

No one.

I quickly run to my destination. The beat of my feet hitting the sidewalk is the sound that echoes in the night.

I knock on the door. It swings open and Christina is standing there, in a black outfit.

"I need your help," I say. She looks at my clothes.

"Psychological or makeover. Cause you need both," she jokes. I give her a stare. "I'm joking."

"You better be." I walk into her house without her inviting me. "I need a change of black clothes for the thing."

"What thing?" Then, her eyes widen. "Oh that thing. Well, come upstairs. My parents are out." We enter her pinkified room. She rummages through her closet. After a minute, she comes back with a black shirt, jeans and Converse.

I take the clothes and walk into her bathroom. I take off my clothes and put on hers. It's great that we wear the same size clothes. I put on another a pair of socks so I can fit her big shoes.

My gray clothes lie on the floor in a pile. I bring them out and put them in the corner of her room. Christina and I leave the house and we enter the night.

"I heard there is another guy that is gonna join," she says. "I hope he's cute."

"Well, just keep wishing."

She looks at me, "Are there any cute guys in the Dauntless that you have your eyes on?"

I shake my head, lying.

She looks at me disgusted, "The Four guy is pretty hot and so is Snake."

"Well...I lied...I kind of like Four." She squeals.

"O-M-G!" she exclaims. I quiet her down and she soon regains herself. "Okay, okay. I want you guys together!"

I murmur. "Me too."


End file.
